In a formal ceremony at Air Force Station New Delhi, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, PVSM, AVSM, handed over command of the Indian Air Force to Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM, marking the transition to the force’s 29th Chief of the Air Staff.
Keywords: Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, Operation Sindoor, Chief of the Air Staff
The outgoing chief, who completed more than 42 years of commissioned service, was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour. Earlier in the day, he paid homage at the National War Memorial, laying a wreath and recording a message of gratitude in the visitor’s book for those who made the supreme sacrifice.
Air Chief Marshal Singh led the IAF through a period of heightened operational intensity, including Operation Sindoor in May 2025. The operation, launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, demonstrated the service’s precision strike capabilities, networked operations and air superiority across a broad front. Veterans and observers have widely credited his steady leadership for the force’s performance and subsequent readiness focus.
Air Chief Marshal Dixit, previously serving as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, brings extensive operational and technical credentials. Commissioned into the fighter stream on December 6, 1986, he is an experimental test pilot and qualified flying instructor with more than 3,500 flying hours on over 20 aircraft types, including the Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Jaguar, Hawk, Tejas and transport aircraft. His career includes command of a Mirage-2000 squadron, key roles in flight testing and capability development, service as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command, and tenure as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff during Operation Sindoor.
Emotions poured in from the veteran community. Lt Gen KJS Dhillon (Retd) noted, “Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, bids farewell to the uniform today after 42 years of commissioned service and four years of training. Under his stewardship, IAF brought laurels to the Nation during Operation SINDOOR. You did a great job, Chief.”
As the new Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Dixit is expected to prioritise continued modernisation, indigenous platforms such as the Tejas, and sustained operational readiness. The seamless handover underscores the Indian Air Force’s institutional strength at a time of evolving regional security challenges.
contact: drrajeshjauhri@gmail.com
Dr Rajesh Jauhri is a Journalist with an experience of over 25 years in Indian and foreign media, a Social Scientist, an Ac-complished Author, a Political & Strategic Analyst, a Marksman (Rifle & Pistol), an Orator, a Thinker and an Educationist. He holds a Ph.D. degree on “Impact of colonial heritage on Indian police”. He runs an NGO dedicated to the social and eco-nomic uplift of tribal communities in MP and two decades back, he established a school in a village of Indore district, providing education and moral values to children belonging to underprivileged and minority families. Has received multiple awards in various fields.
